Sūrat al-Nabaʾ is the seventy-eighth chapter of the Quran and it was revealed in Mecca. It is apparently the eightieth chapter that was revealed, after Sūrat al-Maʿārij (70) and before Sūrat al-Nāziʿāt (79). It consists of forty verses. Its name is obtained from the second verse, which talks about a great and significant news, al-nabaʾ al-ʿaẓīm. This surah is also known as Sūrat al-Muʿṣirāt (as in verse 14), Sūrat al-Tasāʾul (mutual questioning, as in verse 1), and Sūrat ʿAmma (‘of what’ which is the first word of the surah).
This relatively short surah can be seen as a whole course on the topic of resurrection. Almost the entire first half of the chapter discusses several signs as evidence to the reality of the hereafter, and the rest of the chapter discusses what will happen on that day including the scene of resurrection, the punishments of the rebels, and the rewards of the God-wary. Verse 26 of this surah is of special importance as it expresses in two words the general code by which people will be judged in the hereafter. It is an expression of God’s justice. This is a rather unique surah in the Quran. Two chapters that have certain similarities to it in terms of content and expression are al-Wāqiʿah (56) and the second half of al-Dukhān (44).
[1] Tamhid, 1/136.
[2] Tabrisi, 10/637.
[3] Qurtubi, 20/169.